I’m completely honored to have Olivia Lichtenstein in conversation. Olivia is a recognized, celebrated, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and a published author.

Over the course of her career, she’s produced or directed numerous feature length documentaries, and documentary series television episodes, published not one but two novels, and now: is training to be a psychotherapist...a move that she tells us is not all together uncommon among documentarians… and she will tell us why.

It all began in an unexpected place: a unique year spent studying abroad in the Soviet Union at —perhaps— the height of the Cold War. Olivia then moved from Leningrad to Los Angeles in the 1980s, where she joined ABC News, and then the BBC, where she began directing and producing documentaries.

The theme here is stories: Uncovering them. Telling them. And ultimately writing our own. 

This episode is full of insights about layering experiences on top of one of one another to build a durable and multifaceted career… about truth, and about following your instincts.  

Tremendous, tremendous thanks are due to Olivia Lichtenstein, for elevating this podcast, and for demonstrating how telling other people’s stories… can help us write our own. All this to say, you are in for a fascinating conversation about how films —and careers— can unfold in the most unexpected of ways.

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This 3-1/2 minute micro episode shares three can't miss tactics for opening any kind of writing. We break down each tactic, sharing an example, along with why it works so well. Got something to sell, or a side hustle brewing? You need to be able to communicate effectively and likeably. This episode of Fate v Futurecast is an audio version of a Deepfate, which was originally published in our newsletter. Deepfates are our name for a quick, but deep, look at a current story in marketing, culture, tech, business, web3, travel, fashion and more. Want more of this in your inbox? Join our newsletter's nearly 1,000 subscribers at companies like Apple, TikTok, LVMH, Morgan Stanley, Wieden+Kennedy and more. Subscribe to the Fate v Future newsletter at 10xsmarter.com.

This 5-1/2 minute micro episode explores the power of customer, or audience, segmentation, especially for early stage startups. We break down what audience segmentation is, why it's such a good tool, and try to answer why many startups don't do it. It was inspired by a LinkedIn post from Anna Holopainen, who pointed out that most early-stage startups start segmenting their users too late. This episode of Fate v Futurecast is an audio version of a Deepfate, which was originally published in our newsletter. Deepfates are our name for a quick, but deep, look at a current story in culture, tech, business, web3, travel, fashion and more. Want more of this in your inbox? Join our newsletter's nearly 1,000 subscribers at companies like Apple, TikTok, LVMH, Morgan Stanley, Wieden+Kennedy and more. Subscribe to the Fate v Future newsletter at 10xsmarter.com.

This 4 minute micro episode explores what the future has in store for startup founders… and why it's going to be both easier AND harder in the years to come. It was inspired by a LinkedIn post by Vadim Lidich where he asked what the "right way" to build a startup in 2027 will be. This episode is audio version of a Deepfate, originally published in our newsletter. Deepfates take a deeper look at a current story in culture, tech, business, web3, travel, fashion and more. Want more of this in your inbox? Join our newsletter's nearly 1,000 subscribers at companies like Apple, TikTok, LVMH, Morgan Stanley, Wieden+Kennedy and more. Subscribe to the Fate v Future newsletter at 10xsmarter.com.

This episode explores why fitness fads are a thing… and why they will never, ever entirely go away. It was inspired by an article on vox.com by Emily Stewart. This episode is a Deepfate, where we take a deeper look at a current story in culture, tech, business, web3, travel, fashion and more. (Sources: "Why we keep falling for fitness fads" >>> Tae Bo Wikipedia entry >>> STEPN to USD price >>> "How many Peloton users in 2022 are there?" >>> "How SoulCycle lost its soul" >>> "Why F45 Training Stock Plunged Today" >>>)

This episode, inspired by a couple of recent LinkedIn posts, breaks down the ways marketing is more like investing than you might think. This episode is a Deepfate, where we take a deeper look at a current story in culture, tech, business, web3, travel, fashion and more. (Sources: Omara Khaddaj’s LinkedIn post >>> Robin Daniels's LinkedIn post >>> What is Diversification Strategy? >>> Over-Diversification: How Much Is Too Much? >>>)

In this episode, we look at Apple's push into ads. Axios and Bloomberg recently reported that Apple will start running ads inside many of its native apps. Our question: what took you so long? This episode is a Deepfate, where we take a deeper look at a current story in culture, tech, business, web3, travel, fashion and more. (Sources: How Apple pushed its ad-vantage >>> Apple Planning to Show Ads in Maps App Starting Next Year >>> Apple Maps could serve advertising to users in 2023 >>>)

New York’s residential real estate market is famously intimidating. It’s expensive. It's competitive, and it's full of all sorts of unusual quirks… just like the city itself. 

Fear no more, as Nadine Adamson, a top broker at Brown Harris Stevens, sheds all sorts of light on the market in this episode. She’ll tell us what exactly a “co-op” is, why they even exist in the first place… and share the lesser known history of how a lot of landlords were able to use the co-operative apartment structure to extract untold fortunes from their buildings the early 1980s, a particularly tricky moment in New York history. 

Nadine will also tell us all about the buy v rent calculus in New York City, whether there really is a best time of year to buy or rent an apartment there, and what she asks real estate developers who seek her and her colleagues’ advice on what sort of residential buildings to put up. 

This episode of Fate v Futurecast is everything you always wanted to know about New York residential real estate… but were afraid to ask. Do not buy or rent a place in New York without listening to it!